Middlebrook school is seeking a 1.0 FTE school psychologist for the 2024-2025 school year

TITLE:                      SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Eligible for state certification as a school psychologist
• Such additions and alternatives to the above qualifications as may be appropriate and acceptable

REPORTS TO:         Principal(s)

JOB GOAL:              The mission of school psychologist is to promote educationally and psychologically healthy environments for all children and youth by implementing research-based, effective programs that prevent problems, enhance independence and promote optimal learning.  The school psychologist provides leadership and functions as a problem solver within the school by mobilizing the resources of the school in behalf of the students.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

It is expected that school psychologists will exhibit demonstrable competencies in the following competencies:

• Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability
  • Assess educational outcomes and their instructional implications for individuals, groups or districts using achievement or mastery tests, student portfolios, performance-based assessment and curriculum-based measurement.
  • Evaluate individual students using a variety of assessment methods including testing, observation, interviewing and reviewing of existing data to determine students educational needs, and design and evaluate interventions to address those needs.
  • Collect data on students, classrooms and programs to design effective interventions to enhance service delivery and to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.
  • Assess aspects of the classroom/school environments that contribute/detract from the social, emotional and academic development of students using classroom ecological and functional behavioral assessment data.

• Interpersonal Communication, Collaboration and Consultation

• Act as change agents at all levels of the system by facilitating communication/cooperation
• Facilitate effective operation of various kinds of school-based teams
• Consult with parents, teachers and administrators to help with problem solving in the home, classroom, school and district

• Effective Instruction and Development of Cognitive/Academic Skills
  • Help teachers develop alternative instructional strategies/programs to meet the needs of all students
  • Provide other educators with timely research on instructional from psychological and educational literature
  • Assist special education staff to develop appropriate goals, strategies and outcome measurement methods for students with special needs

• Socialization and Development of Life Competencies
  • Design and implement individual, classroom and school-wide programs in social skills, social problem solving, conflict resolution, decision-making and life skills
  • Design and implement alternative approaches to classroom management and
  • Discipline, behavior management, ecological intervention and enhancement of classroom climate
  • Provide individual, group, classroom and family counseling to help students perform better socially, emotionally and academically

• Student Diversity in Development and Learning
  • Develop and implement interventions based on the individual characteristics of the person, family or system
  • Access cognitive abilities, social and emotional functioning, academic performance sensory-motor skills and diagnose a full range of psychological and educational strengths and disorders as they pertain to the educational process
  • Foster sensitivity to diversity issues within the school community and promote the integration of diverse talents and strengths of all groups into the educational programs of the school

• School Structure, Organization and Climate
  • Provide leadership in organizing schools in ways that promote learning, high expectations for excellence, and a sense of caring, safety and community
  • Help design and participate in student support teams, coordinated school-based health teams, student assistance teams, crisis teams and character education teams
  • Help design school policies on such issues as grading, discipline, referral systems, complaint procedures and transitions

• Improve Social-Emotional Functioning for all Children-Prevention, Wellness Promotion and Crisis Intervention
  • Emphasize prevention and wellness throughout the school community by designing and implementing programs to meet a wide range of needs and disorders.
  • Promote the availability of a comprehensive range of services, from supportive and inclusive placements through interim alternative placements, for students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders.
  • Provide leadership in crisis situations to students, staff, families and community in responding and healing.
  • Develop a systematic plan in all schools to reduce social/emotional barriers to learning.
  • Educate all stakeholders about the importance of and connection to social-emotional functioning and successful academic achievement for all children.

• Home-School-Community Collaboration
  • Enhance partnerships between parents, educators, and the community and parental involvement in schools.
  • Participate in parents conferences, Individual Education Plan meetings and facilitate and help resolve conflicts that may occur.
  • Identify evidence-based models of effective family-school partnerships and conduct a variety of activities to ensure that families are integral partners in the educational process of children.
  • Define and promote population-based service delivery in schools by implementing a public health model

• Research and Program Evaluation
  • Keep current on various aspects of education and child development and be able to interpret and explain analyses in a clear way to school personnel and the public.
  • Understand statistics, measurement and research design sufficiently to evaluate own work and to evaluate school programs.
  • Translate research into practice so to assist in the decision making process in implementing new programs and assessing the ones already in place.
  • Advocate for universal early prevention and intervention programs and assessment practices that emphasize language, cognitive and social-emotional development placed in context of ethnicity, Socio Economic Status, gender, and language.
  • Ensure that improved academic competence is the desired outcome for all children and that assessment practices are empirically like to strategies to improve academic performance.

• Legal, Ethical Practice and Professional Development

• Knowledge of current special education law
• Accept obligation to maintain the highest level of legal, ethical and professional practice to enhance the quality of services, and to protect the rights of all parents
• Pursue a personal plan of continuing professional development and at the same time contribute to the professional development of colleagues by providing professional presentations, professional writings and clinical supervision

• Information Technology
  • Be knowledgeable regarding the selection and use of instructional and adaptive technology in order to consult with colleagues in designing programs and interventions for students
  • Keep abreast of information sources and technology to access current research and professional literature to apply to solving problems

• Serve as Case Manager when assigned:

1. Serve as key liaison to larger community of learners and families for students on caseload.

• Communicate pertinent information about teaching and learning for individual students to other teachers and service providers.
• Maintains communication to parents and colleagues over time as needed to support and promote student services in the regular program.
• (a) Request assistance from (b) make referrals to related services staff, e.g., counseling, psychology, speech/language, etc., as needed.

2. Assist in the design and implementation of behavior management plans for students whose needs extend to this domain.

3. Maintain a schedule of annual reviews and triennial (re-evaluation) reviews consistent with law and district practice.

4. Plan and schedule Planning and Placement Team Meetings for assigned students as needed to comply with legal and district policy requirements.

5. Coordinate meetings with staff and/or parents as needed to share information

regarding students’ programs and progress.

6. Ensure that all required paperwork is distributed to parents.

7. Ensure all paperwork for student transportation needs is completed in a timely fashion

8. Assist in the transition process of students from building to building and/or program to program.9. Determine if additional training of staff is required and assure implementation of same

• Confers regularly with the Director of Special Services
•  Accepts additional assignments in the role of school psychologist as directed by the Director of Special Services and/or the building principal

TERMS OF EMPLOYEMENT:    187 day position per WEA contract

EVALUATION:     Performance review of this job will be evaluated by the building principal in conjunction with the Wilton Staff Appraisal Plan

Reviewed by the Board May 4, 2004   

Revised August 15, 2006

Wilton Public Schools is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all qualified persons.

Wilton Public Schools does not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability (including, but not limited to, intellectual disability, past or present history of mental disorder, physical disability or learning disability), genetic information & testing, Family & Medical Leave status, protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by Connecticut state and/or federal nondiscrimination laws.

Wilton Public Schools prohibits retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or otherwise oppose discrimination.